SNP under fire as class sizes go up and teacher numbers drop

FORMER education secretary Mike Russell’s pledge to have class sizes of 18 or fewer in primaries one to three was discredited yesterday after it was revealed the number of teachers has plummeted by more than 4,000 since the SNP first came to power in 2007.

In 2007, the SNP were elected on a manifesto that contained the promise that all children in the first three years of primary would be taught in class sizes of 18 or fewer, but that policy was abandoned just two years later.

The SNP Government made clear in their 2007 manifesto that it would address this issue. It has failed miserably

Mary Scanlon

She said: “Based on this report, his successor, Angela Constance, has a considerable mess to clear up.

"The SNP Government made clear in their 2007 manifesto that it would address this issue.

"It has failed miserably.”

Chris Keates, of the NASUWT teaching union, said the figures revealed “disturbing trends” while Larry Flanagan, of Scotland’s biggest teaching union, the EIS, said local authorities had to maintain their agreement on maintaining teacher numbers.

New Education Secretary Angela Constance said P1 classes of more than 25 had been “virtually eliminated” and more three and four-year-olds in nursery now have access to a registered teacher.

Ms Constance added: “This has been achieved in the face of austerity.

"The budget available to us now is around 10 per cent smaller than when the UK Government took office.”